


Not My First Choice

by ArgyleMN



Series: Bryce Lahela/Cassie Vanderfield - Canon Universe One Shots [13]
Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Bittersweet, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Medical Jargon, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24940720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgyleMN/pseuds/ArgyleMN
Summary: Bryce reveals a surprising fact about his past preferences while he and Cassie are teaching some medical students. Set about 20 months after the start of Open Heart book 2.
Relationships: Bryce Lahela/Main Character (Open Heart)
Series: Bryce Lahela/Cassie Vanderfield - Canon Universe One Shots [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768597
Kudos: 6





	Not My First Choice

**Author's Note:**

> For those that are curious, in the US medical students find out where they will be completing residency through a process called the Match. Students submit lists with their preference for programs where they interviewed, programs submit lists with their preference of the students they interviewed, and a computer algorithm “matches” applicants and programs. All the students find out where they are going on the same day, called Match Day, and most medical schools have a ceremony on that day with unique traditions.

The fourth year med students were frantic. It was one week before rank lists were due, one week before they had to finalize and certify their preferences for residency programs, something that would determine where they would spend the next three to seven years of their training. Cassie could practically feel the tension radiating from the dozens of fourth years when she walked into the classroom, a couple of Tupperware containers tucked under her arm.

A few weeks ago, Cassie had agreed to co-run a suturing workshop for the med students currently enrolled in Capstone, serving as a refresher on some technical skills prior to the start of _their_ intern year in a few shorts months. She was on an elective, so when her program director sent out an email looking for a volunteer from internal med, she’d responded right way. Procedures weren’t exactly her favorite thing in the world, but she did love suturing, always picking up the lacerations during her blocks in the ED. Plus, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to get better at teaching. She had matched for her diagnostics fellowship at Edenbrook, and nearly three years of working with Ethan Ramsey made it clear to her that _she_ should be the one handling most of the teaching responsibilities for their department.

So, here she was, prepared to go over some basic suturing techniques with medical students. Well, her and a gen surg resident. But she was the only resident there at that point, and she didn’t see any reason to wait for someone who may or may not show up, so she called the med students over, handing out the gelatinous models, sutures, needle drivers, and pick ups. The surgical resident was supposed to bring raw chicken for them to practice on as well, but if they didn’t arrive, they would just have to make do with the models.

As Cassie demonstrated the proper size bite to take to a group of students who were hoping to match in peds, the door burst open and in walked Bryce, several grocery bags in his arms.

“Sorry I’m late, you guys. I’m Bryce, your surgical resident; aka the doctor here with _actual, real_ suturing experience,” he called out throwing a wink towards Cassie in the process. “I would have been here sooner, but the lines at Market Basket were way too long. Just give me a couple of minutes to get set up, and then those of you who want to work with real tissue, not that weird crap, can give the chicken a shot.”

Cassie finished up her quick demonstration of a simple stitch, then wandered over to see if Bryce needed any help getting his materials set up. She placed a hand gently on his back, careful not to startle him since he was holding a scalpel.

“This is quite the surprise. Why didn’t you tell me you were gonna be my co-teacher?”

Bryce glanced over at her, throwing her a grin before he got back to the task at hand, slicing lacerations into the chicken breasts for the students to sew up, “I wasn’t supposed to be, but Brittany was in the OR until 4 am last night, so I said I could take care of this while she crashed in a call room. Help me dole out the raw meat?”

As the two of them worked with the students, showing a variety of stitches and with Bryce tossing out the occasional quip about internal med not having enough suturing experience to truly teach, the conversation naturally gravitated to rank lists and Match Day. The students were all anxious, trying to make last minute decisions about how to rank all the programs where they interviewed. Soon, many of the students had all but given up any pretense of caring about practicing suturing, instead pulling out laptops and undoubtedly logging on to edit rank lists.

Cassie felt obligated to redirect them, to refocus them on the task at hand, “Hey now, there’s no point agonizing over your rankings. Something like 75% of applicants match at one of their top three programs, and I can guarantee you all have two or three favorites. I’m guessing most of you will be happy at any of them.”

“And if you don’t get into your top three choices, don’t sweat it. Plenty of good doctors drop further down their rank list, depending on specialty,” Bryce chimed in.

“Are you speaking from experience, Dr. Lahela?” Cassie teased, elbowing Bryce gently. She was shocked when he was silent for a few moments before he responded.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Cassie tried to keep her shock off her face, but she felt her eyebrows fly up before she could fully control her facial expression. She’d always just assumed that Bryce had ranked Edenbrook highly. She opened her mouth, a million questions ready to pour out, but Bryce caught her eye and shook his head slightly. Cassie nodded. Her curiosity could wait 30 minutes.

And so, she focused on giving feedback on simple interrupted and vertical mattress sutures, correcting use of needle drivers, and teaching how to do an instrument tie. As the med students dropped their used needles in the sharps container, thanking her and Bryce on their way out, Cassie gathered up the tissue models. Walking over to the side of the room, she started loading them into the Tupperware. She could hear Bryce cleaning up behind her, tossing the raw chicken breasts into the trash and washing down the tables and his hands. Eventually, he came up beside her, tossing the unused sutures into the Tupperware as well. 

“Go ahead.”

Cassie looked at Bryce. He was avoiding her eyes, instead looking at the packets of Vicryl he’d just dumped into her containers. “I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject, Bryce. I never would have teased you if I’d known, especially in front of the students.”

He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. Surgical match is a lot harder than internal med, so it makes sense your experience was different than mine. Where did you rank Edenbook?”

“It was my number one. Can I ask where you ranked it?”

Bryce paused for just a brief moment, but then he answered clearly and calmly, “Sixth.”

A wave of emotions washed over Cassie. Bryce had wanted to be at _five_ other hospitals before Edenbrook. If Match had gone _any_ better for him, they never would have met. As she tried to come up with the appropriate response, Bryce finally looked at her. He must have seen something in her face that reflected her concern, because he said, “Oh come on, don’t be like that. It was _hardly_ a disappointment. I would have been happy at any of the programs in my top eight. If I’m being honest, the thought of Boston winters probably dropped Edenbrook a couple of slots, so nowhere near as big a deal as you think it is. Come on, let’s get this shit back to the med ed office.”

Bryce grabbed two of the containers, leaving Cassie just one to carry. She flipped the switches, killing the light in the classroom as Bryce stood against the door, holding it open for her. 

“Do you regret that you matched here?” She had to ask the question as they walked toward the elevators.

Bryce smiled and shook his head. “Not for a second,” he responded, bumping his hip lightly against hers.

Cassie let out a small sigh of relief. She didn’t want to be selfish, but the thought that Bryce and her might have never met if things had objectively been better for him with the Match, well it was unsettling. But Bryce was the type to make the best of any situation, and if he was happy with how things had worked out, who was she to question that?

“You wanna grab dinner at that new Thai place tonight?” Bryce asked as Cassie pushed the elevator call button, clearly not interested in dwelling on the past and what ifs. Honestly, it was one of the things that Cassie loved about him. And while he may not have had the greatest luck on Match Day, she liked to think that they’d both gotten pretty lucky finding each other.


End file.
